Marigold and Mint
by featherstormx
Summary: Marigoldkit and Mintkit are two new kits born into Shadowclan. But as they discover who they were in their past lives, and hear an ominous prophecy that may be about them, the two sisters must train their hardest, or they will die in the paws of Starclan.


The moon rose above the trees, putting the birds' chatter and all of the mice's skittering to a stop.

Five cats gathered around a large tree. It was glittering. "I have come to welcome Darkpaw as a true medicine cat apprentice," An old tom rasped.

An excited, small black tom pranced with happiness. "Ashshade! Is Starclan going to talk to me!" He asked.

Ashshade gave a curt nod as they approached the Moontree. Sorrelpool looked anxiously around as the new apprentice bounded up to the tree. "Cloudleaf... I don't think he should become a medicine cat!" The spotted Riverclan medicine cat hissed anxiously at a white Windclan she. Hollywhisker gave a small nod. Hollywhisker was the Thunderclan medicine cat.

Ashshade turned his head back in anger. "Tell that to my face! He shows great enthusiasm for herbs, and he already knows half of them!" He spat.

The other medicine cats shrugged and prepared to rest their noses on the trunk of the tree, but Ashshade gave a frustrated hiss. "Wait!"

"Darkpaw, do you, uphold the medicine cat code, and save your clan mates whenever they are sick or injured?"

"I... I do!" He cheerfully mewed, but his eyes drooped with sleepiness.

"Then I, Ashshade, Medicine cat of Shadowclan, call down upon our warrior ancestors to make you a medicine cat apprentice. Until you are fully trained, your name shall remain Darkpaw,"

Darkpaw's chest puffed out in pride, and the cats started cheering, "Darkpaw! Darkpaw! Darkpaw!" They mewed not-so-enthusiasticly.

Then all five cats touched their noses onto the shining tree, and Darkpaw's vision went black.

_Starclan! Am I asleep? _An old black tom appeared, his yellow eyes gleaming. Darkpaw shrunk back. "U-uh... Hello?" he managed to mew.

"Two will be reborn, their death wrongly accused, and blood will lap one's paws." He growled. A gray tom leapt at the old black cat. "Molepelt! Stop giving stupid prophecies to new apprentices!" He hissed.

"Featherwhisker!" He rasped. Suddenly Darkpaw's vision went to black, and he realized he couldn't breathe. He was underwater.

He blinked open his eyes to see everything was red. _It's... It's blood! _He thought with a jolt of horror. He thrashed about trying to reach the top.

_And it never ends! _He realized with fear.

"Darkpaw!" hissed a worried voice. He looked around to see where it was coming from.

"Darkpaw!" Darkpaw's eyes shot open, and he was gasping for breath. Ashshade, Sorreltail, Hollywhisker, and Cloudleaf loomed over him, and his pelt felt hot with embarrassment.

"Darkpaw! You were spazzing! Are you okay?" Cloudleaf asked. Everything came flooding back to the small apprentice. The scrawny old cat, the prophecy, and the blood.

_Oh... the blood! _Darkpaw shuddered. Cloudleaf stared at him, waiting for an answer. All he could do was nod with big round eyes.

_It's like my mouth is trapped shut! _He thought with a pang of worry. _Is there even a herb for that? _

"Well, come on. _My _apprentice is waiting for me at camp!" Sorreltail hissed and dashed off. Hollywhisker rolled her eyes. "She has always been the competitive medicine cat!"

Cloudleaf and Ashshade let out a _mrroow _of laughter, but Darkpaw padded on with a blank expression.

_Two will be reborn, their death wrongly accused, and blood will lap at one's paws, _The words echoed through his mind. He shook his head furiously. _That Featherwhisker cat... in my dream... said that it was a stupid prophecy. And that's just what it is!_

But however much he tried, he could not get the fear scent, the stench of blood, and the sight of the red liquid out of his head.

_Great Starclan! I've been a medicine cat apprentice of less than a couple of minutes! What does this mean?_

He stared restlessly up at the fading stars in the nightsky- it was turning dawn, and he hadn't realized the other cats were departing until he felt a bushy tail rest on his shoulder.

He looked back to see the fluffy Windclan she-cat, Cloudleaf, her white pelt ruffled from the wind. "Travel well, and good luck with your clan," She mewed and nodded towards Hollywhisker, then Ashshade. Ashshade and Hollywhisker nodded back, and Cloudleaf turned towards Darkpaw, waiting for a goodbye.

_I... I can't move my jaws! _All he gave was a curt nod, and Cloudleaf smiled and trotted into the moor, without glancing back. He decided to nod towards Hollywhisker, and Hollywhisker gave him a glare, but returned the nod.

"Happy hunting, and be safe," Ashshade called out as Hollywhisker scampered into the oak trees, and she only acknowledged his call with a flick of her tail.

_What's her problem? _Darkpaw thought crossly. As if his mentor read his mind, Ashshade twirled around, but he was furious.

"Darkpaw! We are close allies with Thunderclan, and you _nod? _You should be ashamed. You have to speak!" He scolded.

But Darkpaw couldn't speak. He tried to talk, but his words actually came out. "It felt like my muzzle was tied shut with cobwebs!" Feeling relived he spoke up, he sighed.

Ashshade rolled his eyes. "You were being shy," He motioned Darkpaw towards the pine trees. "Come on, let's get back to camp," He mewed as they ran through the forest.


End file.
